2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington

November 2, 2004 (2004-11-02)
All 9 Washington seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 6 3 Seats won 6 3 Seat change Popular vote 1,725,316 1,189,147 Percentage 58.93% 40.13% Swing 6.75% 4.66%
Democratic   60–70%   80–90% Republican   50–60%   60–70%

Elections in Washington
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1889 1891 1893 1895 sp 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1914 1916 1920 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1983 sp 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1909 2nd sp 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1923 5th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1947 3rd sp 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 3rd sp 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1975 3rd sp 1976 1977 7th sp 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 1st sp 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2004 2008 2010 2012 2016 2020 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 2020 Secretary of State elections 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2022 sp Attorney General elections 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 State Senate elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013 26th sp 2014 2016 2017 45th sp 2018 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 2006 2008 2010 21st 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Supreme Court elections 2004 2006 2008 2012
Ballot measures 1972 276 2004 872 2006 920 933 937 4223 2007 67 2008 1000 2009 71 2012 74 502 1185 1240 2016 732 2018 1631 1639 2019 976
Seattle Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 City Attorney elections 2021 City Council elections 2019 2021 3rd recall 2023 Ballot measures Sound Transit 3
Spokane Mayoral elections 2011 2015 2019 2023

The United States House of Representatives elections in Washington were held on November 2, 2004. Washington has nine members in the House of Representatives, as apportioned during the 2000 census, and all nine seats were up for re-election. There were two open seats in the 5th and 8th districts when Republicans George Nethercutt and Jennifer Dunn, respectively, retired. No seats changed party this year.

Overview

District 1

In this liberal-leaning district based in the northern suburbs of Seattle and parts of the Kitsap Peninsula, incumbent Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee did not face a serious challenge from Republican candidate Randy Eastwood and Libertarian Charles Moore. Congressman Inslee was able to crush both candidates in the general election to win his fifth nonconsecutive term in Congress.

District 2

Incumbent Congressman Rick Larsen has represented this Western Washington district, which extends from the northern and western suburbs of Seattle to the Canada–US border in the north since he was first elected in 2000. This year, he was challenge by Republican Suzanne Sinclair and Libertarian Bruce Guthrie, but he was easily able to win a third term due to the liberal nature of his constituency.

District 3

This Western Washington district, which spans from Olympia to the Washington-Oregon border, has a moderate profile and has been represented by Democratic Congressman Brian Baird since 1999. Seeking a fourth term, Baird was opposed by Republican Thomas Crowson, but the Congressman’s popularity allowed him to crush his opponent in a landslide.

District 4

Incumbent Republican Congressman Doc Hastings, who won his first term in 1994 by defeating fellow Congressman Jay Inslee, ran for a sixth term in this conservative, central Washington-based district. Hastings faced Democratic nominee Sandy Matheson in the general election, whom he was able to defeat convincingly.

District 5

When incumbent Republican Congressman George Nethercutt opted to run for Senate instead of seeking a sixth term, an open seat was created. The Minority Leader of the Washington House of Representatives, Cathy McMorris, emerged as the Republican nominee, while Don Barbieri, a well-known developer based in Spokane became the Democratic nominee. McMorris was able to defeat Barbieri by a wide margin to win her first term in Congress.

District 6

Congressman Norm Dicks, the dean of the Washington congressional delegation, sought a fifteenth term in this liberal-leaning district based on the Kitsap Peninsula. Dicks faced perennial candidate and conservative activist Doug Cloud in the general election, but he was able to trump Cloud to seal another term in Congress.

District 7

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott, who has represented this solidly liberal district based in Seattle since he was first elected in 1988, ran for an eighth term in 2004. Facing Republican candidate Carol Cassady, McDermott was able to easily take victory, winning by the largest margin out of any Congressman that year in his state.

District 8

Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn declined to seek a seventh term in this increasingly liberal district based in the eastern suburbs of Seattle and encompassing much of King County. King County Sheriff Dave Reichert became the Republican nominee. The Democratic primary attracted national attention with three major candidates: Heidi Behrens-Benedict, the Democratic nominee for the congressional seat in 1998, 2000, and 2002; former RealNetworks attorney Alex Alben; and KIRO radio host Dave Ross.^[2] Ross won the primary and ran as the Democratic nominee. Despite a grueling battle and the fact that the Democratic nominee for President, John Kerry, won the district that year, Reichert managed to pull out a thin victory and went to Congress for his first term.

District 9

This district has been represented by Democratic Congressman Adam Smith since he was first elected in 1996. Covering the densely populated area from the suburbs of Seattle to the northern portion of Olympia, the district has a moderately liberal population with a tendency to support Democratic candidates. Congressman Smith did not face a serious challenge from Republican Paul Lord and Green Party candidate Robert Posey and was re-elected to a fifth term with ease.

References

See also